Schumer urges Commerce Department to reconsider paper tariffs

Monday

Jan 29, 2018 at 1:45 PMJan 29, 2018 at 1:50 PM

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-NY, is urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to reconsider its recent decision to impose duties on the raw material – uncoated groundwood paper from Canada – used by New York’s already at-risk Upstate and local newspaper companies, including the Daily Messenger’s parent company GateHouse Media.

Schumer said if the federal government pursues large duties, New York’s large and small newspapers, which already operate on tight margins, would suffer, causing workers to lose jobs and diminishing the flow of top-notch journalism to people across the region.

“The bottom line is that this decision will have a huge and harmful impact on newspapers in every hometown across Upstate New York, so the Department of Commerce should reconsider this decision,” Schumer said. “This decision is not supported by the domestic paper manufacturing industry, so Commerce should find a new way forward that does not place such an unfair and unwise burden on an already at-risk and extremely vital American industry that provides so many jobs and so much value to New Yorkers from one corner of the state to the other.”

On Jan. 9, the Department of Commerce assessed preliminary countervailing duties ranging from 6-9.9 percent on Canadian imports of groundwood paper, which are currently being collected.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.